Dodgers sign Yasel Puig for seven years, $42M

With the new international free agent spending restrictions set to take effect in four days, the Dodgers broke the bank. Jesse Sanchez and Enrique Rojas report that Los Angeles have agreed to sign 21-year-old Cuban outfielder Yasel Puig to a seven-year, $42M contract. This came a few weeks after the Cubs signed Jorge Soler for nine-years, $30M and a few months after the Athletics signed Yoenis Cespedes for four years, $36M. The market for Cuban outfielders has officially jumped the shark.

Last week we heard that Puig defected and just two days ago he was declared a free agent, but as far as we know the Yankees didn’t have any kind of interest. Ben Badler recently spoke to scouts who didn’t have many good things to say based on his recent workouts, but as Jack Moore wrote, the investment is a positive sign for the Dodgers and their new ownership. I just can’t fathom spending that much on an unknown commodity.